i stated the beginning of the new fall television season that i will be now watching tv. i had been so focused on films for the past few years and with the lack of a television it just got harder and harder to really find time to watch all the shows that i wanted to. with the surge of reality shows, it felt like good storytelling was really hard to come by. with the exception of community and two broke girls, i felt like the only good television worth watching was on cable, esp on amc, hbo, ifc, and what not. after the fall trial period, i stopped tuning into 'the new girl,' 'pan am,' 'the office,' and (gasp!) 'boardwalk empire.' i lost complete interest and some of their ideology was really bothering me (ahem, the new girl...) instead of dragging my feet to see if any of these series would eventually pick up their pace, i dropped them like hot cakes and moved onto popular picks like breaking bad and newcomers, portlandia and enlightened. mad men was always on top of my list but now i finally finished season 4, im dying to see what season 5 has in stores. these are just some of the shows im am currently watching as well as a few films here and there. 

ive heard so many things about breaking bad so finally i gave in and gave it a go. while it is honestly the heaviest series i am currently watching, it is addicting. i always thought shows that this about the sympathetic yet law-breaking civilians were overrated with shows like nurse jackie, dexter,  and weeds,  that have about the same premise was just getting old. while i cant say if breaking bad is much better than the other ones cause i didnt fully watch the other series, this show is shocking, explosive, and empowering. im only on season 2... till next time.

i really wanted to explore the realm of television and what is has to offer so i googled 'best new shows 2011' and portlandia came up. the humor of saturday night live is understood and adored by many, my humor is a little harder to please. this show is entirely about portland, oregon and everything it has to offer. the pros and cons between television and a live show is obvious. but the one thing that a live show cannot offer that digital presentation can is editing. which i think plays a huge part in my ability to laugh. portlandia shows the lives of hipsters but to an extreme. you thought you were a hipster, wait till you get a load of these two (points up.) fred armisen (snl) and carrie brownstein are the stars that embody all the hipsters you hate/love around the world. i just ended season 1. season 2 starts jan. 6, 2012. YYYYES.

laura dern is simply amazing. this show somehow has the ability to drag and yet make you anticipate for the next episode. dern's character, Amy is not easy to love but knowing her, you want to give her some benefit of the doubt that things will pan out in the end. will it? will it not? amy is a walking disaster and everything she touches turns to complete shit. will she be redeemed? get her revenge? be understood? maybe not. we will see season 2 if the underdogs will prevail or be killed. 

need i say more. just look at him... 

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i can say that as a fan of the millenium book series and swedish films that david fincher's version of the girl with the dragon tattoo is definitely worth watching. as for the question to who made the adaptation better, this argument could go on for years and years. although, im going to say that i did like the swedish films better for its representation of lisabeth's feminist ideals that made a stronger stance that roots back to her deeply damaged past. the first time i saw rooney mara as lisabeth, i could not wait to see the film as it showed a revamped image of the lisabeth salander that we all know and love. but with fincher's film, i felt a complex knowing that although this film can potentially change many perspective of women roles in society, he stylized and sexified everyone and everything to the point that he wanted to please the audience. rooney mara is certainly badass but as a victim of rape and suppression from society, how is it that she is so effortlessly fashionable? unlike the swedish films, why is she completely shaven from the shoulder and below? after all her troubles and struggles, should the audience still think about how fucking sexy and hot she is as to how we should be on her side to fight the indecent people of this world? people say that fincher's version is an "americanized" version meaning it is inundated with sex and appeal. typical.

the complex continues as to whether david fincher's version of the girl with the dragon tattoo is refreshing or totally uninnovative. he added insane amount of detail that was in the book that wasn't in the swedish films which added an excess amount of time to the film that probably wasn't necessary. but that is what was why it was so thrilling how the audience got an in depth look into the story and how in the end, after all the annoyed and cold looks from lisabeth came a moment that revealed her vulnerable and soft side. but the same details that made the film interesting became an exact page to page translation to screen. it was precisely like the novel that it leaves no room for fincher to make it his own film. there were some events that were alternated but the bigger picture was exactly the same.

regardless, it is a film worth watching and drooling over (i dont think you can resist). i probably should write a review that isn't just me complaining about the film if im recommending people to watch it. the bottom line is that the swedish films were able to capture the troubled life of lisabeth that can potentially change the views of suppressed and violated women of the world. where as the american version just glorifies the character and story to be viewed simply as just a movie.

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I seriously had not anticipated seeing the trailer for the dark knight rises till next year, let alone before sherlock holmes: a game of shadows. i was completely thrown off and didn't even have a chance to prepare myself. what i experienced was sheer ecstasy/terror. i cannot believe the third film has already arrived. i know christopher nolan has something up his sleeve to end this trilogy with a fucking bang. it seems quite impossible to top the last batman film as it has scarred everyone for life or shall i say, heath ledger has scarred everyone for life. after that i thought nolan wouldnt dare make another batman film but regardless, im thrilled he did. with such an A-list cast like this one, this will surely be the most anticipated film of the summer! the dark knight rises comes out july 20, 2012. 

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ive seen a lot of mashup videos of the films of 2011 but this one by far is the best one. not only does it encompass and transports you through space and time but it has everything from blockbusters like Sucker Punch (blah) to indies' Hesher to foreign gems like I Saw the Devil. It's fucking awesome. i thoroughly enjoyed this above everyone else's. watch and enjoy.

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Once the new posters for MIB3 hit theaters, i automatically knew i HAD to see this next summer! alex billington from firstshowing.net (myfav) said "we've heard this sequel has gone through a lot of production problems and it shows, this looks a bit rough, almost made-for-TV." after reading that i had to give it a go and it has this tv gleam which makes it really campy. It is certainly shot in HD but the overall look has a tv-feel. i hope you know what im talking about after viewing the trailer so i dont sound absolutely crazy.

MIB3 is directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, the same director of the first two and somehow, this one just doesn't seem to match up to its predecessors. It is quite a surprise to see this Josh Brolin is the younger version of Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones). It also stars Emma Thompson, Alice Eve, Bill Hader, and Michael Stuhlbarg. It comes out May 25th 2012!

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i wait for this video to come out every damn year. and as the years progress, im continually amazed how many great films comes out year after year. wow, i was so repetitive. but it is much needed repetition. i will be gathering my top ten films of 2011 list soon but for right now, check out this video. i dont know if its the same editor of the ones ive posted preceding years but nonetheless, its a great fucking video. all hail films, i cant wait for you 2012!

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My Week with Marilyn (2011) is a British drama film directed by Simon Curis starring Michelle Williams, Kenneth Branagh, Eddie Redmayne, Julie Dench, and Emma Watson. The film is based on two books by Colin Clark which tells of his first job as an assistant director on the film The Prince and the Showgirl (1957) starring Marilyn Monroe and his alleged love affair with the most famous actress in world.

Newcomer actor and model Eddie Redmayne plays a young Colin Clark who pursues his dreams of working in the film business by becoming an assistant director to the infamous actor/director Laurence Olivier (Branagh). While on set of Olivier's next film with Monroe (Williams) called The Prince and the Showgirl, Clark naturally falls in love with Monroe's intoxicating allure and spends a relentless week and warily enters the dangerous realm of Marilyn Monroe behind Marilyn Monroe. With caution signs from all directions, Clark insistently indulges in the spiraling persona of Monroe as she reveals an increasingly dependent, unreliable, pill-popping, detached child of the world. I felt conflicted knowing that Williams was playing Monroe but as I was watching Monroe i was consistently reminded that it was Williams as Monroe. Regardless, Williams was able to capture the heartbreaking portrait of the consumed and ethereal Marilyn Monroe down to her signature mole. It will be no surprise if Williams gets an Oscar nom for Best Actress this upcoming Academy Awards. As the audience gets a glimpse of the tragic person behind Monroe, like people say when she is Monroe, it is impossible to look at anyone else in the room. she drugs and intoxicates you throughout the entire film whether she is the one incoherent or sober. Williams delivers again and again, down to the slightest discontent grin or blank gesture capturing the excruciating turmoil behind the most famous actress in the world. B-

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The 8 minute trailer for the girl with the dragon tattoo was not released to the public till last week and im kind of late but those of you who havent seen it. here it is. without spoiling much, the trailer gives a very detailed intro of what to expect this upcoming dec 21st. i was basically crying every second throughout these glorious 8 minutes..

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